1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a radiographic image capture system, a portable radiographic image capture device, and an image capture table.
2. Related Art
Recently, radiation detectors have been put into practice employing, for example, a FPD (Flat Panel Detector) that has a radiation sensitive layer disposed on a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) active matrix substrate, detects irradiated radiation, such as X-rays, and outputs electrical signals expressing radiographic images representing the detected radiation. Such radiation detectors have the advantage that, in comparison to conventional imaging plates, images can be more immediately checked and video images can also be checked.
Portable radiographic image capture devices (referred to below as electronic cassettes) installed with radiation detectors such as these for capturing radiographic images are being put into practice.
It is desirable for such electronic cassettes to be smaller, lighter and thinner, due to their mode of use. In consideration of use, such as during doctor's rounds and with dusty beds, there is also desirable for the electronic cassettes to be closely sealed.
Electronic cassettes are capable of capturing video images (fluoroscopic imaging) by performing successive capture with the radiation detectors, however, heat presents a problem when the electronic cassettes are closely sealed, due to the heat generated by image capture from electronic circuits inside the electronic cassettes.
As techniques to address this issue, techniques are described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) Nos. 2007-222604, 2008-36399 and 2009-28234 in which heat dissipation is performed when an electronic cassette is set in an image capture table by contacting the casing of the electronic cassette to a cooling mechanism.
There is also a technique described in JP-A No. 2005-181922 in which a cooling unit that suppresses temperature rise inside a casing is embedded within the casing of an electronic cassette, so as to be installable or removable.
However, there are occasions that sufficient cooling of the electronic cassette cannot be achieved by performing heat dissipation using the techniques of JP-A Nos. 2007-222604, 2008-36399 and 2009-28234 in which the casing of the electronic cassette is caused to contact a cooling mechanism.
In particular, the internal temperature of an electronic cassette readily rises when performing fluoroscopic imaging, since successive image capture is performed by the radiation detector.
Whilst sufficient cooling of the electronic cassette can be achieved when a cooling unit is embedded so as to be installable and removable with the technique of JP-A No. 2005-181922, effort is required to change over the cooling unit.